Vehicle wheel suspension



April 21, 1953 N. E. WAHLBERG VEHICLE WHEEL SUSPENSION 2 sEEETs--sHEET 1 Filed June 24, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

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VEHICLE WHEEL SUSPENSION Filed June 24, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR.

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Patented Apr. 21, 1953 VEHICLE WHEEL SUSPENSION Nils Erik Wahlberg, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Nash-Kelvinator Corporation, Kenosha, Wis., a corporation of Maryland Application June 24, 1950, Serial No. 170,109

6 Claims.

. This invention relates to a suspension device for suspending a vehicle body relative to its wheels.

One object of the invention is to provide a generally improved suspension system which is less costly than other suspension systems now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for suspending a vehicle body relative to one of its wheels, wherein the suspension assembly is secured directly to a portion of the vehicle body.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel load carrying arrangement permitting elimination of the usual elaborate crosswise structural member.

A still further object is to provide a novel control arm arrangement with means for controlling play in the bearings.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following specification and upon examination of the drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of an automotive vehicle showing the suspension means as taken on line l-l of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1; and V Figure 3 is a detailed view of one of the control arm assemblies.

Heretofore it has been common practice, particularly with respect to the suspension of an automotive vehicle body relative to its front wheels, to provide a rather elaborate cross memher which is secured to the frame of the auto invention the load carrying arrangement is such that the suspension assembly is hung directly from the vehicle body, thereby eliminating the necessity of a structural cross member.

The vehicle body 2 is made up generally of sheet metal members which are welded to a frame portion 3 providing a unitized body and frame structure. At the forward end of the automotive vehicle a portion of the body is formed in the manner of a wheel housing 4, which housing is ultimately completely covered by the hood 5 and the front fender said wheel housing substantially embracing one of the front wheels 7. One side of the wheel housing 9 forms a side wall of the engine compartment. The wheel housing 4 is generally comprised of two sheet metal stampings H] and l I which are welded together at various points to form a rigid housing structure. A third sheet metal stamping ['2 provides additional rigidity to the wheel housing in the region where the control arms 13 and M are secured to the wheel housing 4.

' The control arms I3 and Il may be made up of a common forging or stamping l5, four of which forgings or stampings would be utilized in making up the two control arm assemblies I3 and M. The arms [5 are free to swivel on cross shaft 46, each end of which shaft is provided with a threaded portion H on which the internally threaded hubs 18 are free toswivel. It will be noted that each control arm is somewhat V- shaped and the apexes of the Vs are back to back. A bolt 51 extends through both control arms and adjusting nuts 58 may be loosened and re-tightened to draw the apexes 59 of the control arms toward or away from each other for the purpose of putting tension on the threads Where the control arms are mounted on the threaded ends of cross shaft I 5 and the threaded bolt portions 35 of the forging 33. By puttingtension on the threads undesirable noises are substantially eliminated.

A grease fitting 49 may be threaded into the ends of the shaft member IB for lubrication of the bearing threads of hub l8 and shaft member threaded portion ll. Bolt members 20 may be mounted onto the threaded portions I! of shaft member l6 and may be clamped to the shaft member I6 with clamping bolts 21. Bolts 29 extend through the walls of wheel housing 4 and are rigidly secured to said housing by means of nuts 22 and lockwasher 23. The cuplike washers- 24 and 25 are of an insulating material to cut down noise.

The wheel I is supported on wheel spindle 21, which may consist of a forging having an offset boss portion 28 with a tapered bore for receiving the tapered lower end of king pin 29. The weight of the vehicle forces the king pin into the tapered bore of boss 28 to obtain a tight and non-rotative fit. A member which may consist of a forging 36 has a central portion with a tapered bore to receive the tapered lower end of king pin 29 and has outwardly extending bolt portions 32 onto which the outer ends of the control arms are threadedly mounted. The lower end of the king pin swivels within the tapered bore of forging 3i) and an adjusting nut 6! may be tightened when desired to eliminate undesirable play between the king pin and forging. A forging 33 at. the upper end of the king pin (which is shown best in Figure 3) has a central portion 34 which. may be threadedly mounted on the upper end of the king pin 29 and may be provided with outwardly extending bolt portions 35 on which the outer ends of the upper control arms 13 may be threadedly mounted. The wheel spindle member 2'! may have a boss portion 36 to which the steering linkage (not shown) may be fastened. At the outer end of spindle 27 an arm 3'? may be secured by means of bolt 38 to provide a supporting connec tion for the lower end of shock absorber 3s; The" arm 31 may'have a yoke portion 69 (one arm only of the yoke being shown in Figure 2) which yoke portion may partially embrace king pin 29 and be welded or otherwise secured thereto- The central portion 3d of forging 33 may have an upwardly extended threaded stud portion M onto which nut .2 is threaded for securing" the cup-like member 43 relative to the upper end of the king pin 2s. A second cuplike member 44. may have an ordinary square neck type stove bolt 46 extending through a square hole in the cup member 54 to prevent the cup turning relative to the bolt. The rubher-like snubber s5 is then secured to the interior of cup member as such as by vulcanization thereby anchoring the bolt. The stem of the bolt is; threaded into.- the upper end of the threaded stud 4i. Coil spring s1 is interposed between the king pin. 2-9 and wheel housing i. The walls ill and H of wheel housing 5- are spaced apart to accommodate a cup-like. stamping it for housing the upper end of coil spring 47. Stamping a8 lends additional rigidity to Wheel housing 6. Another cup-like stain-ping it may be welded at its base to stamp ing ts and protrudes downward-1y within coil spring ii to limit the upward travel of king pin 2e, snubber 45 engaging the lower face. of stamping is whenever wheels a engage road conditions suiiiciently severe to cause spring 4? to be subjected momentarily to severe. compression forces. Coil. spring ii absorbs the great majority of the jolts imparted to wheels i while the. vehicle is traveling over rough terrain without causing snubber 35i to contact the lower lace oi stamping 45. It will be noted that the mounting of the coil spring d-l directly above. the king pin 29. and

thereby closely adjacent to the wheel 7 serves an important function in that spring 4? directly absorbs, the vertical movement of. king pin 2.9. thus relieving the control arms I3 Ml. of substantially all of the. vertical loadresulting from the weight of the vehicle. The spring 4.! being mounted at a maximum radial distance. rom the control arm pivot shafts it, where a. longer range of vertical movement is, aiiorded, can. thus be made longer and more flexible resulting in a somewhat softer vehicle ride. The overhang-ing portion. of thewheel housing. which the coil spring ll'i engages. is structurally strong enough to support the verticalv load of the vehicle. relative to the wheels.

The upper end of shock absorber 39. may have.

a stern portion 55 which protrudes through the. walls It and i i of wheel housing. 4 and is secured to said wheel housing.

Caster, camber, and toe-in adjustments of the wheel relative to the vehicle body (which adjustments are common in the art) are efiected by the loosening and the re-tightening of. nuts 5|, 52, and 53, dependingv upon which type of adjustment is desired at the moment.

Having thus described my invention, what I. claim is:

l. A suspension device for suspending a vehicle body relative to its wheels comprising a sheet material housing formed as part of the vehicle body a wheel, a spindle for the wheel, a pin member carried by the spindle, said housing having a side wall alongside the pin member and a portion overhanging the pin member, arms having their ends pivotally secured respectively to the side wall of the housing and to opposite ends of the pin member, the overhanging portion of the housing having a recess therein, coil spring, means received in the recess and having engagement with the upper end of the pin member, said spring means being in substantial axial alignment with the axis of the pin member.

2. A suspension device for suspending a vehicle body relative toits wheels comprising, a sheet material housing formed as part of the vehicle body, a Wheel, a spindle for the wheel, a pin member carried by the spindle, said housing having a side wall adjacent the pin member and a portion overhanging the pin member, arms spaced from each other and having their ends pivotally secured respectively to the side wall of'the housing and to opposite endsoi the pin member, the overhanging portion of the housing having a recess therein, a coil spring receivedin the. recess and being in engagement with the pin member, a resilient snubber secured to the upper end of the pin member and positioned inside of the coil spring and a cup-like member positioned inside the coil spring at the end opposite the snubber and against which the snubber impinges when the spring is excessively com.- pressed.

3. A suspension device as set forth in. claim 2. wherein the spring is substantially in axial alignment with the pin member.

4.. A suspension device for suspending a vehicle body relative to its wheel comprising, a housing formed of sheet material and as part of the body and havinga side wall portion and a roof portion, wheel carrying means secured to the side wall of the housing, and a coil spring, interposed between the wheel carrying means and the roof portion of the housing, said roof portion having a recess for receiving one end of the coil spring.

5. The combination of a vehicle body and a suspension assembly for individually suspending the vehicle body relative to a wheel comprising: a wheel, a vehicle body, a portion of the vehicle body formed of sheet material and shaped as a housing adjacent to the wheel, said housing having, a substantially upright wall portion and anoutwardly turned roof portion partially overhanging the wheel, a pair of arm assemblies pivotally secured to the wall portion of the housing in spaced relation to each other, the-roof portion of the housing having a recess therein, a pin associated with the vehicle wheel, a coil spring interposed between the upper end of the pin and the roof. portion of the housing, one end of said spring being received in the recess of said roof portion, said spaced arm' assemblies being pivotally secured at opposite ends of. the gin for carrying the wheel relative to the vehicle ody.

6. The combination of a vehicle body and a suspension assembly for individually suspending the vehicle body relative to a wheel comprising: a wheel, a vehicle body, a portion of the vehicle body formed of. sheet material and shaped as a housing adjacent to the wheel, said housing having a substantially upright wall portion and an outwardly turned roof portion, a spindle for the wheel, a king pin member carried by the spindle, said roof portion of the housing overhanging the king pin member, arm assemblies spaced from each other and having their ends pivotally secured respectively to the wall portion of the housing and to opposite ends of the king pin member, a coil spring interposed between the upper end of the king pin member and the roof portion of the housing and imposing thrust against the roof portion of the housing.

NILS ERIK WAI-ILLBERG.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Number 6 Name Date Best Oct. 29, 1935 Sanford June 23, 1936 Leighton Oct. 19, 1937 Wahlberg July 28, 1942 Leighton Dec. 15, 1942 Ulrich July 2, 1946 Lucien Dec. 7, 1948 Wallace Apr. 12, 1949 

